SECOND TO NONE
by PamEargle
Summary: A left turn changes Florence's life.
1. Left and Right

CHESS is, was and always will be one of my favorite musicals. Florence is, was and always will be one of my favorite heroines.

When I first signed up here, I was pleasantly surprised to find many quality, thought-out, heartfelt fics by people who obviously love it as much as I do. Some are ideas I could see, while others... Well, let's just say I am a true Florence/Freddie shipper with nothing against Anatoly... except his forced romance with Florence. Their relationship just seemed contrived and shallow.

And no matter WHO'S boat you're on, you HAVE to admit neither camp got closure.

So... After reading many great stories, here is MY version of the trio's endgame, my... SOULMATE.

PS- I purposely kept this first chapter short and vague to keep you guessing and interested.

* * *

Ever since Freddie had gone left, Anatoly went right and her father was still no where to be found, leaving her alone in the middle with no direction to go, Florence Vassey had become a hard-hearted woman. She was a woman she did not like or want to know.

Nobody was on nobody's side.

As she looked at the handsome man asleep in her bed, she knew she'd taken her thought, "Take a little love where you can," a bit to far. He was the third guy in as many months. As she let the scalding hot water run all over her body, she decided that he was her last... until the next one came along. She dressed in her work skirt and blouse and left him a note, saying it wasn't him, it was her, blah blah blah... The typical Dear John letter. He was forgotten the moment she hopped on the train to ride into her beloved New York. It was not only wonderful that her little place in Connecticut worked out, but that it was only a 45 minute ride into what was absolutely the best City in the world for getting lost in, for blending in, for... forgetting. Never the same thing. Never the same sights or sounds. No faces she knew. She purposely kept to herself even at the club where she taught chess clubs and oversaw matches as an arbiter. The men she saw knew her name and body, nothing more. Perhaps that's all she was good for, all she was meant to have: sex and no relationship. The one man she COULD have had BOTH with was long gone...

With a deep sigh, she shook it off and hopped off the train at Penn Station. It was a lovely day, so she decided to walk instead of grabbing a cab, taking a left into Central Park.

There was always a group huddled around the outdoor chess tables near Belvedere Castle and today was no exception. She knew there was something big happening as she approached. Slowing her pace, she licked her lips, narrowed her eyes and tossed her long dark curls off her shoulders. A voice and laugh rang out above the din. No matter how long it had been since the last time she heard it or how long she lived, she would never forget it.

Her legs stopped working. She froze in place as the man turned to her. Their eyes locked.

"Florence..." he gasped.

Her name from his lips made her heart skip a beat and then begin to race. She could only smile, not knowing what to do or say. It was then she realized anything she thought she'd say or do if she ever saw him again had been forgotten.

The only thing she could do was run into his open arms.


	2. Now what?

It felt so right to be in each others arms again.

She was the only person who ever knew him, the only woman to ever LOVE him.

He was one man who made her laugh, relax and feel... deeply.

For all the bad times, there were more important and more numerous good times.

"It's great to see you, Freddie," Florence chuckled, touched at his genuine joy.

"How are you?" he asked, pulling back and smiling.

"Good I guess... How are YOU?"

"About the same, I guess," he teased, winking. "Look, I gotta finish up here with the kids, but... I'd really love to catch up..." he said, biting his bottom lip, terrified of what her response would be.

"I have to get to work, so... I'd love to catch up, too. There's a Thai place on 48th. Pongsri. Wanna meet me there at 1?" she asked.

Freddie arched his eyebrow. They both knew she mentioned that place as some sort-of signal that nothing had been forgotten, but maybe all could be forgiven. She could tell he was a changed man as she gazed into his eyes. She remembered when he'd come to her, asking her to come back to him, telling her how much he loved her, and how she'd just... walked away.

Somehow it felt as if they had never been apart. They had both changed so much since the last time they saw each, it also felt as if they were meeting for the first time. The silence between them was deafening.

"Won't Anatoly have a problem with that?" he asked, breaching the subject that needed to be breached at some point.

"He went back to Russia and his family..." she admitted, bowing her head. "I haven't heard from him in years," she added after a beat. "Won't MRS. Trumper have an issue with you having a meal with me?"

Freddie snorted. "There IS no Mrs. Trumper, Florence. "

"But you said kids..."

She watched him blink as a smirk spread across the lips she had once loved to kiss. "I brought a club here for the weekend. I don't have any kids..."

Now that THAT was out of the way, the air could really clear.

"I really need to go, Freddie. We can chat more over lunch OK?" she said, reaching out to touch his right arm. She turned and began to hurry down the sidewalk.

"What are the odds we'd find each other like this, huh?" he called out after her.

She turned and laughed. "Maybe it was meant to be," she called back.

He held open his arms and laughed. "I think so!"

1 O'clock came and went.

"He has to show up. It can't come to nothing... Perhaps it can..." Florence remembered thinking that to herself on the terrace in the mountains of Merano, Italy while waiting for him.

She sighed deeply, lifted her sweating glass of water to her lips and glanced towards the door for what seemed like the millionth time. Just as she was about to stand and go with her heart on her sleeve, he came rushing through the door in true Freddie style.

"I'm so sorry... I had to make sure they were all settled. We fly out tomorrow..." he said, settling into the chair across from her.

That made her slump her shoulders and he noticed. "Hey... I don't have anything to go back to. If this... works... I can stay..." he suggested quietly. Florence looked back up into his eyes ands opened her mouth to speak.

A bouncy blonde waitress came up, breaking the mood. "What'aya have?" she asked brightly. The much younger woman was totally flirting with Freddie, flaunting her every asset in his face. Florence watched as he seemed to be oblivious to her. Once she left the table, Freddie noticed his lovely partner's stare.

"I have been a lousy man, done and said some rotten things, but you of all people know I am not nor have I ever been a womanizer..."

"I also know better than anyone that you DO like women... even if it's not in an overly obsessive way," she grinned.

The sex had always been amazing. Which is why the press' constant harping on Freddie's sexual orientation was so frustrating and hilarious to them. He grinned back. "Where'd all that shit come from anyway? I mean my dad thought I was probably queer, then all the stuff the press imagined..." he sighed, taking a big swig of his water.

"You're a private person... They like to create stories about what they don't get told to sell their rags," she shrugged, reaching out to pick up her water glass. She felt a shiver run up her spine as Freddie gently laid his hand over hers. Their eyes locked.

"Now what...?" she whispered.

She watched Freddie smirk. "I was hoping YOU could tell ME..." he answered.


	3. Full Circle

They ate in agonizing silence, both knowing the other was thinking as deeply and honestly as they themselves were.

Florence took a sip of her water, feeling as though she was whole again. Things had come full circle. Chess brought she and Freddie together and in the end, it was what tore them apart. She'd lost herself in HIS chess career. As obsessed as they BOTH had been about the game and his position in it, it was never ALL about black and white pieces on a board. It was always about FREDDIE. Everything she had ever done was for him.

Freddie munched his noodles and wondered what he'd done to deserve to be in her light again. She'd sacrificed so much for him, done so much for him. She saw him for who he was and loved him in spite of it. And he'd treated her badly. Of all the selfish and immature things he'd done, THAT was the only thing he regretted.

Bottom line was that they loved each. They both had blood on their hands after the death of their relationship and they both accepted that. It was time to admit it.

"Freddie..."

"Florence..."

It seemed they both wanted to speak at the same time. They smirked.

"Ladies first..." Freddie nodded.

"I'm sorry..." she said sincerely.

He nodded. "I'm sorry, too... For everything... but mostly for calling you a parasite," he grinned, lifting his glass to his lips for slug of his water.

Florence laughed. "I called you a few choice words, too."

He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. "Water under the bridge," he shrugged.

"Yes it is..." she sighed, turning serious again.

They fell silent again.

She found the next words. "So... You're leaving tomorrow?" she asked, not knowing what she wanted his answer to be. It would be easier if he said yes, but she wasn't sure she wanted easy anymore.

"Well... I don't have anything to go back to... As long as there is even the slightest chance I have something to stay for..." he said, his smile growing.

"What if I said I didn't want you to leave?" she blurted out.

His smile faded, shock clouded his eyes. "Then I'd ask you why."

"Do you want to stay? Because if you don't there's no point in any of this..." she said, suddenly standing up, nervous, upset.

Freddy stood, moved quickly to her side and laid his hands on her shoulders. "So you weren't just being hypothetical? You WANT me to stay?"

She swallowed hard and nodded. She flicked her eyes up to meet his. "Do you want to stay?" she asked again, desperation in her voice this time.

"Yeah... I do," he said.

She relaxed and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

"No... You're cutest when you're vulnerable... which isn't often..."

Upon opening her eyes, they met his. "You sure about this?"

"Are you?" he asked, arching his eyebrow. "Neither of us expected to meet up again... especially out of the blue..."

"I don't want to move fast..."

"I don't, either."

"Jeez, the sky must be falling. We agree on something," she chuckled.

"We're not the same people we were the last time we saw each other."

"No we're not," she said, licking her lips. "Uh... Let's get outta here," she suggested, grabbing up her bag.

"Sounds good to me," he smiled, tossing 2 $20 bills on the table.

They went out into the mid-day sun and hustle and bustle of the City. They strolled a bit and ended up in front of Florence's YMCA. "I get off at 6. Here's my key and address," she said, handing him a key. Pulling out a pen and an old receipt, she wrote down the door code and apartment information. "I'll try to get off early."

"Yeah, no worries."

"Good... I'll see you," she smiled, rising up on her toes to place a kiss on his right cheek.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Later, Flo," he said.

She hurried over to the door and yanked it open. He watched her until he couldn't see her anymore.

What if this didn't work? What if it only made it all worse? He couldn't bare to loose her all over again. He swallowed hard and looked down at the silver key in the palm of his trembling hand...

... Florence practically ran home. She buzzed her apartment. No answer. Fear set in after the third try. She went to the landlord to get her second key. She asked if he'd seen a man come, maybe ask for help to her place? The older man shook his head. She went upstairs, tears clouding her eyes. She kicked the door closed, threw her things on the table and collapsed onto her sofa sobbing.


	4. Again

I am so sorry that real life and troubles at work have kept me away from updating. I'm not a very happy person right now. This is short and sweet, but I didn't want any more time to pass without continuing.

Florence had no idea how much time had passed before she heard the key in the lock. It took her a few seconds to realize what was happening. She stood up, blinking and wiping away at her tears. Narrowing her red, wet eyes, she licked her lips and clenched her fists at her sides. As she watched Freddie come into the room, she immediately noticed the overstuffed brown paper bags in his arms. When he kicked the door closed, he looked up and their eyes met.

"Hey!" he said, his voice full of affection and enthusiasm. "I hoped I'd be back before you got home," he confessed, moving towards the tiny kitchen table to carefully sit his armload down. He felt her eyes trained on him the whole time he settled the packages on the glasstop. "You OK?" he asked, coming back to stand before her, taking in her demeanor for the first time.

"When you weren't here... I thought..." she tried.

"I went to get dinner," he explained gently, reaching out to lay his hands on her trembling shoulders. From the look she was giving him, he expected her to shrug them off and slug him.

"I thought you..." she began.

"Well you thought wrong," he said, interrupting her and grinning. "Did I think about running? Yes. Am I scared? Yes... I'm terrified... Of losing you all over again. I don't want to mess this up... Again," he added.

"It takes two to tango AND to crash and burn, Freddie," she said firmly, a tender smile spreading across her lips. "I'm not the innocent victim in our story."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know... Your halo is crooked," he smirked.

She squeezed her eyes closed for a few moments. Before more than a few seconds passed, she felt his warm lips brushing hers. It ignited a fire deep in her soul, a fire she thought had long since burned itself out. Wrapping her arms around his waist after he drew her close against him, she relaxed into his embrace and deepened the kiss. A full minute went by before she hesitantly pulled away.

"What? I'm sorry... I shouldn't have..." he offered, reluctantly releasing her and taking a step back.

"No, no... It's OK," she sighed, opening her eyes. "It's just... I don't want to mess this up... again... either," she said, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of her swollen mouth. "Let's take it slow and enjoy getting to know each other as the people we are now," she suggested, running her hands through her tousled curls.

Freddie nodded. "And eat," he added brightly, gesturing to the yet unopened dinner he brought for them to share.

"Good idea. I'm starving," she smiled. "Whatcha got cookin'?" she teased as they went to start fixing the food.

Once the sandwiches were made and beer poured, they sat across from each other, eating in silence and smiling.

"What made you turn around and stay?" she asked out of the blue as they cleaned up their meal.

"You," he replied simply.


	5. King and Queen

I have been on a CHESS kick lately and was inspired to properly continue this.

For the record, Adam Pascal is Freddie and Florence is... my version of Florence. If/When Anatoly is mentioned or actually appears, he's Josh Groban.

Ever wonder why Freddie wears white and Anatoly black? Good guy, bad guy... Hero, villain...

* * *

Although they wanted to take it slow, reminiscing on the fire escape with a second beer only fueled the fire that had sparked when their hands touched at Pongsri. A gentle breeze blew, the sun was setting and feelings had been awakened. Freddie reached out and pulled her into is arms, kissing her deeply. She didn't resist. She let him fondle her and kiss her and she- and her body- responded, wanting him as much as he obviously wanted her. They weren't drunk. This wasn't pity sex or break-up sex, or even make-up sex at this point. It was real. They managed to get inside, but got no further than the couch. He held her tightly and made love to her passionately. She let him do what he wanted to her. He let her do whatever she wanted to him. Somehow they ended up in her bedroom, not bothering to pull the sheets down or worry about anything else but each other.

"We need to film this and send it to Global," Freddie whispered, his swollen lips brushing her ear as he spoke. "It would shut everyone up."

"Chess champion's sex tape revealed! Story at 11," she chuckled breathlessly, kissing along his jaw line and then nipping at his neck. He growled and they continued on.

Later, when they were sated and lying naked in each other's arms, after some minutes of comfortable silence, she raised herself up on her elbows and looked down into his eyes. "You were right," she said.

"I know," he sighed proudly, smirking.

"You don't even know what I'm talking about," she laughed.

He nodded. "I do." A pause. "You're talking about the Red," he said quietly. Florence had always been stunned at his genius level IQ and his ability to read her. She bowed her head. "Hey," he said, cupping her chin in his hand and lifting her head, forcing her eyes back to his. "He was never worthy of you... He never had only you on his mind or in his heart like I did... You are MY queen," he smiled.

"You are my king," she answered. "And the sex is better with you," she said, letting her hand glide down his chest.

Round two felt strangely like make-up sex and as if they had never been apart.

An hour passed and once again they lay quiet, basking in the afterglow.

"I have always loved you, Florence. I will always love you. You are not only the only woman I have ever loved, but you are the only PERSON I have ever loved," he told her, gazing into her eyes. "I love one person: YOU. I love one thing: chess."

She knew that was true. In fact, she had never doubted it. "I'm sorry I hurt you," he said, her voice cracking with emotion.

"I deserved what you gave me... But like I told in Merano, I changed. Losing you was like dying..."

Florence thought back to the plea in his voice and the desperation in his eyes when she walked out. "I can tell..." she assured him. "I should have listened... Given you a chance."

"You didn't know who or what to believe," he shrugged. "I never blamed you."

She smiled and embraced him, holding him tightly. He kissed her forehead, her left cheek, then her right and then her lips. He tugged the blanket up around them and they drifted off to sleep pressed together.


End file.
